Rail joint



May 19, 1925.

A.. M. Ril-'FLE RAIL JOINT J Filed Oct. 21, 1924.

v i" w LVA MRIF Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALVA M. RIFFLE, OF ALEXANDER, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAIL JOINT,

Application led October 21, 1924. Serial No. 744,928.

To all whom may concern.'

Be it known that ALvA M. RrFFLE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Alexander, in the county of Upshur and State of `West Virginia, has invented new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification.

ln a rail joint, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide a construction embodying a chair for the reception of the adjacent ends of a pair of rails, in conjunction with bolts engaging thro-ugh the opposite walls of the chair and through the rails and threaded into one of the walls, thereby securing the rails in position.

Another purpose is the provision of means for turning the bolts in order to thread them home.

Still another purpose is the provision of bolt turning means, the construction and arrangement of which relative to the bolts being such as to receive a key between the turning means and vthe bolt, thereby locking the turning means so as to prevent a full rotation of the turning means for operating the bolts, thereby preventing a. rail joint from being tampered with by an unauthorized person.

It is to be understood that the particulars herein given are in no way limitative and that, while still keeping within the scope of the invention, any desired modifications of detail and desired proportions may be made in the` apparatus according to the circumstances.

The invention comprises further features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention, sho-wing the turning means for the bolt as being locked.

Figure 2 is a side view showing the turning means locked and the turning means disposed in another position whereby the bolt may be rotated.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the bolt and its turning means.

Figure 5 is a. detail view of the key 14.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a rail chair which is of the usual construction, comprising a base 2 for the reception of the bases of the rails with uprising sides 3 which engage the webs of the rails. In fact, the upper edges of the sides of the chair engage under the balls of the rails. The base of the rail chair also has notches 4; in its edges to receive spikes 5 for fastening the chair to the ties.

The sides of the chair are provided with openings 6 and to receive bolts 8, the latter openings (in the inner sides) being threaded, which threads engage with the threads of the bolts. The bolts 8 have heads 9 which are provided with lateral lugs 10 which constitute trunnions on which a lever or bolt turning device 12 is fulcrumed.

The lever 12 comprises a body, one end of which has curved arms 13 which straddle the bolt, the terminal portions of the, arms being fulcrumed upon the lateral lugs, whereby the bifurcation caused to be formed by the arms may receive the shank of the bolt, that is, when the lever is in the position shown in Figure 1. Then the lever is in the position as shown in Figure l, a key 14 may engage downwardly between the curved arms and the bolt so as to hold the lever in the position shown in Figure 1.

The key 14 is attached to the lever by means of a chain 15. The key is of a shape cross sectionally to conform to the space between the curved arms and the bolt. In fact, the key is tapered and has a shoulder 16 at its upper end and frictionally engages between the curved arms and the bolt to prevent the key from dropping out of its position in case the lever should be turned over in an attempt to remove the bolt.

To insure against the key falling out of its position between the arms and the bolt, the lower end of the ,key has an opening 17 to receive the shackle of a padlock 18. This padlock will prevent the key from being removed by an unauthorized person. Since the lever is of a length greater than the distance between the bolt and the tie or the ballast which will prevent the lever from being continuously moved by an unauthorized person without first having removed the key, it is obvious that the bolt constitutes a secure fastening means for the rails and the chair, preventing unauthorized removal of the bolt as well as preventing accidental displacement or acodental loosening of the bolt.

By removing the key and swinging the lever in a direction indipated by the arrow a in Figure 1,it is obvious that'the bolt may be rotated continuously in one direction. After the lever makes a half turn in this direction, the lever is then swung outwardly, that is, laterally of the chair and the rail and back to the position shown in Figure 2, then moved again in the direction of the arrow a. These movements are continuously repeated until the bolt is unscrewed, then the adjacent rail ends may be removed from `the chair. A reverse movement of the bolt, by imparting a` reverse movement to the lever but in a corresponding manner, may cause thebolt to be screwed into the opening 7 in the inner side ot the chair.

It is deemed necessaryonly to illustrate one or" the rail ends mounted in the chair for the Yreason that the adjacent rail end is secured in identically the same manner, the chair spanning the joint between the con-necting` rails and being provided with bolt receiving openings ior the reception of bolts of which one passes through the web of each rail, both bolts beingl provided with identical locking means.

The in-vention having been set ior h, what isclaimed is:

l. The combination with a rail chair having-vertical sides, oi a bolt passing transversely through the chair and through a rail mounted therein and being threaded into"the opposite side ci the chair, andA means pivotally carriedt'by the bolt at its head end and locked-in conjunction therewith and lying normally in a position parallel with the chair when locked,r thereby preventing the removal of the bolt.

2. The combination with a rail chair having vertical sides, of a bolt passing transversely through the chair and through a rail mounted therein and being threaded into the opposite side of the chair, and a lever pivoted on the head end of th-e bolt and adapted to he swung to a position parallel with the rail for a portion of the movement of the lever and then in an arc outwardly and laterally from the rail back to the original position for screwing the bolt into and from the chair.

upon the head end oi the bolt to straddle the bolt so that the arms mayclie parallel with the chair, and means engaging the crotches of the curved arms adjacent the bolt to lock the lever in such parallel position.

l. The combination with a rail chair, having vertical sides` of a bolt passing through thesides of the chair with its end having a threadedl connection with the inner side thereof7 and a lever having curved'arms separated to provide an intervening space for the bolt, the head end of the bolt lia-ving lateral trunnions engaged with the terminal portions of the arms of the lever to pivotally mount the same-for movement to `a position parallel with the side ot the chair and then in an arc outwardly and laterallyi'rom the side of the chair and repeatedly so operated whereby the bolt may be screwed into the chair.

5; The combination with a rail chair having vertical sides, of a bolt passing through the sides of the chair with its end having a threaded connection withthe inner side of the chair7 a lever having curved spaced arms disposed on opposite sides of the bolt, the head of the latter having lateral trunnions passing through the terminal portion of said arms for pivotally mounting of the lever for movement toward andaway from the chair, the arms being adapted to stra-ddle the bolt, and means insertable between the crotches of the curved portions of the arms.

and the'bolt to lock the lever in a position parallel with the side of the chair.

In testimony whereof he afnxes his signature.

ALvA M. 'niFFLn 

